O’Leary spoke on behalf of the millions of disabled Americans who will suffer in their “future health and finances” if the death tax is not repealed and their parents’ estates are taxed at a graduated rate rising from 18 percent to 55 percent.

“There are at least 4 million disabled Americans who might have to pay death taxes on money their parents left them to pay medical bills,” O’Leary said.

O’Leary pointed out the medical bills of the disabled are often astronomical, with hers easily exceeding $250,000.00 over the last few years.

“Some of us who would receive this wealth are in wheelchairs. Some are deaf and blind. Some are on respirators. Others require medication or nursing services. In order to live a full life, these Americans may require medical help, nursing and living assistance far beyond that which is covered by medical insurance…These are four million people affected by real disease, who live in real pain, and many have medical bills that make mine appear small,” O’Leary stated.

O’Leary stressed that quite often those opposing the repeal of the death tax often ignored the concerns of disabled Americans. She was especially disturbed by the callous ad campaign conducted by Responsible Wealth – a group with such super rich members as George Soros, Steven C. Rockefeller and Warren Buffett, who call the estate tax repeal “a terrible mistake.”

After the Responsible Wealth ad in the New York Times on February 14, 2001, member Bill Gates Sr., father of the Microsoft founder, confirmed their position on the issue at a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, tagging the estate tax as “an entirely appropriate tax” that the rich should pay “as a price of living in the United States.”

In response to the comments of the Responsible Wealth, the Disabled Americans for Death Tax Relief , placed full-page ads in the Washington Times and Wall Street Journal.

These ads generated support from all parts of the country and now the group has “recruited over 1,000 supporters just in the last two weeks,” O’Leary said.

Interestingly, “Bill Gates Sr., speaking on the show Crossfire, said that he never considered the effects the death tax has on disabled Americans. In light of that admission of ignorance I say that Responsible Wealth wasn’t too responsible in running that ad after all,” remarked O’Leary.

O’Leary also took exception to Responsible Wealth’s members who portray themselves as a cross-section of America’s wealthy when in fact they consist almost entirely of super-wealthy Democrats.

O’Leary, who recently appeared on Fox News Live, can be seen on:

• Tuesday March 27, on Hardball with Chris Matthews and special guest host, Senator Fred Thompson
• Monday, April 2 on the Fox News show, The O’Reilly Factor
• Thursday, April 5 on Special Report with Brit Hume on the Fox News Channel